This invention relates to apparatus for making chains, particularly large chains made from bar stock having a diameter of 30 mm or more. More particularly, the invention relates to a plant for manufacturing two chains at a time comprising a pair of substantially parallel tracks arranged one at each side of a central space or course, a first carriage running on one of said tracks for moving a depending end portion of one chain previously formed along said course to be presented successively to a plurality of operating stations provided in said course for performing a succession of operations including inserting a heated piece of bar into the lowest link of said depending portion, bending said piece of bar to form a link, flash butt welding the joint of said link and trimming the joint to remove the welding burr or bulge, and a second carriage running on the other track for moving a depending portion of the other chain along said course to be presented to said operating stations.
In a published design for a plant of this general type, each of the carriages is provided with a single chain wheel for carrying the chain. The space separating the tracks is amply sufficient to ensure that the carriages, with their chain wheels and the chain carried by them, can be shifted along their respective tracks without interfering with each other. As the chain end, when hanging straight down from the chain wheel of the carriage, is out of alignment with the operating stations, the operator has to pull the depending chain end sidewards to cause the lowermost link to be presented to the operating machine in the proper position to be gripped by the clamping means of the operating machine. This is a laborious and awkward operation which, while still possible for chains made of, say, 30 mm bar stock, becomes increasingly difficult or impossible for still larger chains, such as the very large chains frequently required as mooring chains for large tankers, oil boring platforms etc. Such chains are made from 50 mm diameter or still heavier bar stock, and the weight of one link may amount to 500 kgs.